Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

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An undead citadel created before the cataclysm, Sahova is devoted to all kinds of magical research. The living may visit the island, if they are willing to obey its rules. [Lore]

Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

Postby Panna Cotta on November 10th, 2010, 2:24 pm

Alakina Padgin was considered as the Chief Biochemist of Sahova. She loved taunting people, often sounding like "she knows you know she knows". Her characteristic trait is the nose-bleeding (for those who breathe) stench of rot and acid. The Venenium Laboratory, which she had acquired as a private personal space some three hundred years ago, was popular even among the anti-social Nuit wizards. It is one of the facilities that have provided successful experiments and projects. It was a matter of chance, really. One day the nondescript embalming fluid maker got bored with boiling citrus and decided to visit the neglected herbarium in the basement. There Alakina discovered poisonous frogs that fed on poisonous ooze. The discovery led to the creation of a harmful drug that induced hallucinations. Request for further research was approved, and then suddenly there was an interest in using psychoactive and biochemical weapons against the Suvan empire. Conquering the world sounded easy, until the poisonous frogs became extinct due to excessive hunting.

The Venenium Laboratory continues to be a place of interest for Nuits who want to push the boundaries of their immortality. It was soon discovered that the Sahovan Wizards possessed immunity to certain poisons. Alakina proved to be a genius, worthy of getting a life extension as a Sahovan Wizard. She had a knack for discovering something new every time she got bored.

It didn't help that her new apprentice was another boring creature. She was in her alchemist's robe, hugging a potted gelatinous substance. The room they were in was a big lecture hall and laboratory combined into two. She sniffed loudly and pointed the visitor to the corner of the hall where there was a drawer. Inside, Nimvahlis would find stacks of used robes. Some were stained with unusual smelling stuff, others looked like they haven't been washed for centuries. It was for his protection, Alakina said, they were going to handle some of the goo. The Ethaefal could find items and equipment to be in full laboratory regalia in the upper drawers and it was entirely up to him to prepare himself for his lesson.

Clearly Alakina was the more powerful between the two of them. Her presence was the mute color of white, a cold empty void. There was something familiar about her, scratching at the farthest wall of his mind. Once he approached, Alakina smiled, "Tell me what you see." Anybody else would say that it was a gelatinous yellowish-gray substance in a pot. But to those trained in auristics, one would see the explosion of colors, almost as if jumping from one hue to another. A psychoactive element. Instinct would tell Nimvahlis that it was a plant. Maybe.

"Eat it." She said plainly, pointing at the substance. Alakina looked as blank as her aura, a white-washed fence. But her eyes were searching, reading into Nimvahlis' own soul. He felt like he was being measured for something; he knew he could be read like a decrypted page by this Nuit. His new master's eyes bored on him holes that he wanted so much to cover. He was naked before Alakina, nothing but an expendable apprentice.

The yellowish-gray substance told him that he would find a moment of bliss if he chose to eat it. Its aura was convincing, enticing.
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Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

Postby Nimvahlis on November 10th, 2010, 6:53 pm

How new, how novel. When Nimvahlis had stepped into the foul smelling Venenium Laboratory and saw the Nuit, he had immediately switched on his second sight. Never before had he seen such a blank creature---even other Nuits held more emotion in their aura. Yet the arctic tundra emanating from Alakina was devoid of both sensation and design. She had to be an aurist of superior power, it was the only answer. Even the dead must feel something. Despite her lack of an aura, Nim still felt a sense of not only familiarity but of insignificance. He knew her from another life, which was not an uncommon occurrence on Sahova. Yet despite this, he also knew that he meant nothing to her. Nimvahlis grimaced, for dreadful things could happen quickly.

Wrenching his probing gaze away from the equally exposing gaze of Alakina, Nim strode over to the drawers. Stripping off his own white robe, he folded and stashed it in favor of the filthy alchemy ones. A couple of them had small bits of fungus growing on damp stains, and others were dusty with disuse. The Ethaefal carefully picked one out that appeared to have naught but a few chemical stains. He also donned a pair of gloves made from the same fabric as the robe, and glass eye wear to prevent contamination and stinging from fumes.

In full regalia to handle the likely toxic substances in the Herbarium, Nim drifted back to Alakina. He looked strange, if boring, in the clothing, a surreal creature decked in the clothes of a scientist. Regardless, he stood before the master, and obeyed as she commanded him to view the gelatinous ooze.

When the djed first bubbled up to bathe the substance, Nim noticed the explosion of color. It was unlike the aura of many other non-sentient things, which were dull and featureless where this was a brightly hued rainbow. At first it was chaos, and the Ethaefal could make no sense of the churning pigments. Yet he focused, drawing out meaning where there had been none. Under his gaze they ordered, each mote like a single fish in the greater school. New colors and sensations arose as he focused, and visual cues as to the physical properties of the plant became apparent. A section of the aura parted, iridescent glass in its place. Nimvahlis looked through it, and saw the world in a warped and colored perspective.


Perspective. Create it. She whispered so sweetly in his ear, that silver lady.

His eyes were locked onto the object, but he continued to speak distractedly as he focused, "The object has an aura more active than most objects with little djed, and it modifies one's perception of the world." For a few instants he drifted off as he examined it, the designs suddenly opening up. Their tendrils bloomed like a flower, and reached for Nim. They beckoned him, calling him in to experience the warm comforts of non-reality. "It desires us, yet it does not. It has no thoughts, but its purpose it to be consumed. Its aura is a myriad of colors, and only assumes a design when focused upon." The Ethaefal forced his mind deeper, probing for more of the physical characteristics of the substance. How much does it take to poison somebody? What did this substance come from? What else does it do? The questions twirled about his mind as he focused on the foul looking organism.

He then took one of his gloved fingers and swiped a bit of the goo into his mouth. Quickly swallowing, he grimaced at the unfamiliar texture. Yet still, a sense of bliss quickly overrode the vague dread and exposure he had felt at Alakina's presence. He stared at the Nuit, "No sensory changes as of now, yet there is a warm pleasant feeling growing."
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Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

Postby Panna Cotta on November 15th, 2010, 3:04 am

He did it without being asked twice, Alakina thought, how quaint. The warm fuzzy feeling enveloped the Ethaefal gradually. His mind was awake, aware of the physical world as he had never been before. His vision was heightened, his olfactory nerves tingled. If he knew the herbs, he could probably single out each leaf that made Alakina smell like cat dung. A chime and another, and he could test out his supersense on anything and everything in the Laboratory. It would even greatly augment his talent in Auristics. But, as gradually as it came to him, his expanding perception slowly imploded, his hearing weakening down to normal, his eyes less focused, his senses once again dull. He was left with a tingling ache to want more, to feel more, to need more.

To a Nuit, ingesting the yellow goo meant being physically aware of the world once more. It made the undead feel alive, so to speak. To a creature with dulled senses, the psychoactive components in the ooze brings about the bliss of seeing, hearing, feeling. To a living being like Nimvahlis, it was almost like being awakened to all the chavi in the world. Already he felt a need to succumb again to the sweet rupture of being alive and aware. Of being part of this world, and this world only.

Part of his very soul conflicted with this, but before he was able to commune with his spirit, Alakina had spoken. "This is a drug I have cultivated for many years. There had already been extensive experiments about this particular ooze. It is what's left of a frog species. The frogs are gone, and they seem to have devolved into this. I won't even call it a fungus. But it's more plant than animal in many properties."

She continued as she took out a couple of dishes and tubes. "It's a subject of interest for a long while now, although the research has been stagnant for a very long time. It'll be worthwhile to explore this together with a fresh pulser." Did that mean they could take acid trips together?

"The main objective of this experiment is to find the best way of philtering the material in order to single out the component that induces the finely-tuned senses. At its raw state, the ooze is able to heighten one's perception about the world. However, it leaves undesirable effects such as addiction. At large doses mild poisoning occurs. The palate was also significantly dulled after long-term usage. Of course, brain damage. Some of my test subjects were unable to tell the difference between an acid trip and a hangover. Broke their minds, broke their souls." Alakina laid out the items into a big tray. There were a variety of forceps, small bottles of solvents, a number of dishes, tubes, and flasks. She hugged the pot and ordered Nimvahlis to carry the tray. They transferred to a working area, where something was already brewing in the philtering device. As she set the pot beside three others, all containing the same yellow goo, the Nuit said, "I believe that my techniques are getting a little rusty." A wicked smile. "So I'm hiring you to explore the wonders of my frogplant. By exploring the wonders, I require you to work - under my supervision - on these samples." There was approximately a pound of the substance on each pot. "Then we'll check your products' efficiency by testing it on you. You do agree that you're doing this for the sake of research, right? I can't provide you financial support, but I'll write your name on the thesis and let you keep half of your effects." He could start immediately, utilizing the laboratory and everything in it.

On one particular room in Nimvahlis' cunning mind, he was now calculating the best possible scenario. He had been able to taste the glory. The stuff was odorless, tasteless - it was a drug that could be easily disguised as anything! What if he used it on Callisto the next time around? Oh what pleasures await the daughter of Syna! She would be susceptible to everything that Nimvahlis was. Sure, he had to be the labrat before he would be able to harvest the fruit - oh what a precious, coveted fruit! But he had more to gain than to lose.

And maybe, if he cooperated with Alakina, he could be allowed to taste the world one more time...
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Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

Postby Nimvahlis on November 15th, 2010, 7:18 am

Muteness overtook Nimvahlis as he listened to Alakina, her words soaking into him as if by osmosis. Excitement vibrated through him, but it was far from visible, as his demeanor remained serene and statue-like. Discovery. Enlightenment. He had never before explored plants or oozes or fungi, but he felt an entire new world opening up to him. He fondly recalled the glorious enlivenment of the world as he ingested the ooze. The scents, colors, sounds, everything was a It began with this substance, but where would it end?

He picked up the tray of instruments and followed Alakina to the other pots of jelly, pondering an errant thought in his mind. As she spoke again, he listened obediently. Something about this woman modified his behavior, made him even more reserved. Her aura. He could not read her aura, and thus knew nothing of her. Nim was used to having the upper hand regarding information, but now he was left in the dark. So he was silent.

As the master's dialog halted, Nimvahlis finally spoke, "Material wealth is not what I seek, and neither is acknowledgment. I simply seek discovery, and so I aid you." He peered into one of the pots, inhaling whatever scent he could determine. Nimvahlis was just as interested in experiencing it as refining it. "I agree and understand the other terms, let us begin."

The errant thought came to his mind once more, and it waxed. He glanced at Alakina for an instant before slowing speaking, slightly hesitant. Nimvahlis had no experience with plants or science, and was shooting from the hip, so his speech was uncharacteristically tinged with uncertainty. "What if... So when a child is born, they come as a base thing. Then as they grow, their head is altered by what they experience. It makes sense, if somebody learns magic their mind changes. So things are added to the child, and it becomes more... More complex I would suppose." Nim halted for an instant, trying to arrange his thoughts. His words had not sang as brilliantly as he'd desired, so he took pains to ensure the message was at least there. "The child goes from simple to complex by adding things. What if plants are the same? Are plants the same? I do not know, yet if they are, we may disassemble them. That is what you are saying we shall try to do. Twins should share similar characteristics. They share some similar qualities, yet are not completely the same."

Nimvahlis breathed deeply, unexpectedly coughing as he inhaled the Nuit's stench. His eyes wandered onto the ooze as he contemplated for a few seconds. "What we do is use auristics to compare plants. Find something with similar qualities, and break them both down. Find the common substance between them." His nose flared each time he breathed in the laboratory's scent, both savoring and detesting it. It was unpleasant, yet held so much promise. "Do we break down the ooze first, or look for a second type? Where does one harvest plants in Sahova?"
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Because destiny says so [Nimvahlis]

Postby Panna Cotta on November 17th, 2010, 2:36 am

"Disassemble! Perfect. You have the mind of a scientist. We figure out life by reducing it to the smallest particle. There is much to reveal when we dissect each part." Alakina folded her arms and smiled cunningly. "But what is there to disassemble when the substance is consistent? This dense cloud of gelatinous ooze is very basic in its physical structure. It is a biogenic compound that resulted from the devolution of an ancient frog species." Alakina pulled out gloves from her robes' pocket and wore them over her hands. The Nuit took a scalpel and bent closer to the first pot. "Observe closely using your sight." There was nothing strenuous in using Auristics, but a challenge was coming. "This thing is alive. Inhale it."

The order sounded somewhat out-of-place. The yellow goo was odorless! But the sensation would assault Nimvahlis. The effect was sublime, but slowly he felt that he was able to focus upon the substance easier. The colors were calling out to him, the prism explosion. So the goo could be both inhaled and ingested! Ingesting it was more effective, he would realize. "Now you know that this has psychoactive elements. Focus on that." Alakina was using Auristics herself, and she guided Nimvahlis with her voice. He had to stay with her, or he might succumb to the lingering seduction of the wondergoo. "Do you see it?" There were thin white spikes in the plant. The ever changing aura of the plant made it hard for Nimvahlis to focus, but as he inhaled and inhaled, he would notice that using his auristics made all the colors vivid and brighter. It was easier to see...

Then Alakina scooped a portion of the yellow goo with her scalpel. Immediately, the colors shifted. "Look at this portion," Alakina said, nudging Nimvahlis with one had. "It's as if the whole thing was minimized. The same colors, the same aura - only smaller." She held out a glass plate and set the yellow goo on it, dividing it once more. "It is the same if you slice it over and over again."

So that was what made it hard to divide. "Now I need you to explore this chemical astringent." The Nuit took out a bottle of yet another unknown substance. She opened it and hovered the bottle in front of Nimvahlis' nose. The Ethaefal found himself disoriented for a brief period, before the sweet, earthy, marine, and animalic scent of the solvent filled his nostrils. "This was the last important discovery of my research. When you use it on the yellow goo..." She reached for a dropper stick and dropped a small amount on the yellow goo on the dish. If Nimvahlis was still using his extrasensory perception, he will see that the aura of the chemical astringent changed from pale blue to white - the same white sheen that the yellow goo exuded. For a long while nothing happened. A chime. Two. Three. Alakina was unmoving, staring at the small glass dish. Slowly, the aura in the plate shifted. The chemical astrigent slowly absorbed the psychedelic properties of the yellow goo.

"I got bored by the time I had accomplished the creation of this substance." Alakina sighed and handed Nimvahlis the dropper stick. "Now that you're here you could continue the research. I'm sure it would greatly benefit us both."

"Do you have any skill in herbalism or philtering?"
The Nuit sounded sarcastic, but her eyes made it appear as if she was genuinely concerned.
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